Valve for bottling gasified liquids



Oct. 12, 1965 VAN ZYL VALVE FOR BOTTLING GASIFIED LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1963 FIG] INVENTD U I LLEM hcofi s VAN ZyL W. J. VAN ZYL VALVE FOR BOTTLING GASIFIED LIQUIDS Oct; 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1963 I'll I FIG4 VEN 7 ILLEM Jncosus VA "ZYL.

United States Patent VALVE FGR BOTTHN G GASIFIED LIQUIDS Willem Jacohus van Zyl, Florida Park, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, assiguor to Lesbro Engineering Products (Proprietary) Limited, Germiston, Transvaal,

Republic of South Africa Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 303,049 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Sept. 3, 1962, 871/62 7 Elaims. (Cl. 141-39) This invention relates to a filling valve for a machine for bottling carbonated beverages or other gasified liquids.

In machine for bottling flavoured carbonated beverages the washed empty bottles are delivered from a washer and syrup is introduced into the bottles. The bottles are then, in turn, each transferred onto a pedestal which is moved in suitable alignment with a filling valve and the bottle then raised on the pedestal to bring the bottle mouth into sealing engagement with the valve outlet. The valve must then operate to carry out the following operations in sequence.

(a) Pregassing or introduction of the gas into the bottle through gas tube so that the interior of the bottle is at the same pressure as a supply of carbonated water to be subsequently introduced into the bottle.

(1)) Introduction of the carbonated liquid into the bottle to a predetermined level, the gas and air in the bottle being displaced upwardly through the gas tube by the inflow of liquid.

(c) Shifting or exhausting the gas under pressure above the liquid level in the bottle.

After these operations the pedestal is again lowered to release contact of the bottle with the filling valve and the bottle is conveyed for corking and packing.

The above operations should be carried out as far as possible with avoidance of foaming which causes lowering of the liquid level in the bottle, loss of diluted syrup, and reduction of the degree of carbonation of the liquid in the bottle.

Foaming occurs due to various factors, but two which cause main difliculty are wet pregassing and rapidity of snifting. Wet pregassing is due to the rapid discharge residual liquid contained in the gas tube due to the upward flow of liquid therein during the previous filling operation. Over rapid shifting results in a shock to the contents of a bottle and this has been found to occur even though the gas is discharged through a port of the minimum practical dimensions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a filling valve assembly, which will enable avoidance of foaming due to over rapid snifting and wet pregassing, and also generally to provide a valve which will enable high filling rates and have structurally advantageous features.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a filling valve assembly comprising a main filling outlet, 21 gas tube extending longitudinally in said main outlet, a liquid supply passageway extending upwardly between the main filling outlet and the outlet of a pressure responsive liquid supply valve, a branch passageway from said liquid supply passageway connected to a snifter outlet, and a main control valve controlling the gas supply through the gas tube and the fluid discharge from the snifter outlet.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional front elevation of the assembly drawn substantially to two thirds full scale,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the assembly,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the assembly, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the liquid flow responsive valve at the end of the gas tube.

3,211,192 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 As shown in the drawings the valve comprises a body 1 adapted to be secured in position by :a side flange 2 and having a bottom filling outlet 3. The latter comprises a tubular guide 4 on which a bell mouthed outlet tube 5 is slidably fitted and with which it is in sealing engagement so that the tube 5 can move vertically in relation to the body 1. The interior of the bell mouthed outlet tube embodies a seat 6 against which. the neck of the bottle will seat during filling operations.

Extending axially through the bore of the tubular guide 4 and through an aligned bored portion 7 of the body is a gas outlet tube 8 having at its lower end a liquid flow responsive valve 9 more fully described hereafter.

The annulus 10 between the gas outlet tube and the parts through which it passes, mainly the seat 6, tubular guide 4, and bored portion 7 of the body provides a liquid discharge passageway and is connected by passageways 11 and 12 to the outlet of a liquid supply valve 13. The latter consists of a valve seat 14 and a pressure responsive valve in the form of a piston 15 located in a cylindrical chamber 16. The bottom of the piston 15 has a seating portion 17 of smaller diameter which is lightly loaded by a spring 18 to move upwardly off the seat 14. The upper portion of the chamber 16 is connected to the liquid inlet port 19 of the valve assembly and the piston 15 is suitably drilled to provide through it, liquid inlet passageways 20. The amount of maximum upward movement of the piston 15 and thus the size of maximum opening of the liquid supply valve may be controlled by the position of a screw 21 and integral rod 22 extending through the top of the body 1 and axially into the chamber 16. If desired the liquid sup-. ply valve 13 may be reversed so that the outlet is at the top in which case the weight of the piston 15 would act to load the seating portion 17 to move off the seat 14.

On the side of the body opposite the chamber 16 is fitted an axially movable valve 23 which is in the lower terminal position shown in FIG. 1, connects the passageways 11 and 12 and annulus 10 to a snifter outlet 24 and closes oil the connection between the top of the gas tube 8 and main gas inlet 25. In the upper terminal position of valve 23 it connects the gas inlet 25 to the gas tube 8 and closes off the connection between the annulus 10 and snifter outlet 24.

The valve 23 is in the form of a rod 26 axially movable in a cylinder 27 and fitted with four ring seals 28, 29, 30 and 31, of greater periphery or diameter than that of the portions of the rod between the seals. The top of the rod 26 is connected to an arm 32 extending from and se cured to a spindle 33 on the outer end of which is fitted a cam 34. The spindle 33 is fitted through the head of a T-shaped bearing 35 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) forming a cam mounting and top extension of guide rod 36 which passes through holes in the flanges 37, 38 and 39, and is secured to the bottom flange 39.

A compression spring is fitted between .flanges 38 and 39 and acts to project the bell mouthed outlet tube 5 downwardly the amount being limited by the stem 40 of bearing 35 contacting the upper flange 37. To provide a balanced loading and guidance of the movement of the tube 5 it is loaded on the side opposite rod 35 by a further spring loaded guide assembly 41.

The valve 9 on the gas outlet tube is adapted to allow flow of gas through it in both directions but not to allow an upward flow of liquid through it. As shown in FIG. 4, the valve 9 comprises a sleeve 42 having therein a valve seat 43 connected to the gas tube 8. A stepped plug 44 is fitted in the bottom of the sleeve 42, the plug having an upward tubular nozzle 45 onto which a light thimble 46 is loosely and slidably fitted. The top of the thimble 46 is fitted with a valve 47 located to co-operate with valve seat 43. Suitable large diameter ports 48 and also smalle diameter ports 49 are drilled through the plug, the ports 48 communicating with the interior of the nozzle 45.

The thirnble 46 when resting on the nozzle 45 does not extend the full depth of the nozzle. Below the bottom of the thimble 46 radial holes 50 of restricted size are drilled through the nozzle 45. Fitted on the gas tube 8 above the valve 9 is a deflector 51. (See FIG. 1.)

In use a number of the valve assemblies described above are fitted on a periphery of a rotating drum with an upwardly movable pedestal located below each valve. The liquid inlet 19 of each valve assembly is connected to a supply tank containing carbonated water under pressure and the gas inlet 25 of each valve assembly is connected to stand pipe projecting above the water in said tank.

The washed bottles containing the required supply of syrup are conveyed, in turn, onto the pedestals which lift to press the neck of the corresponding bottle against the seals 6. This part of the assembly is conventional and accordingly not been illustrated.

As each bottle is pushed upwardly it lifts the corresponding bell mouthed inlet which raises and swings the cam 34 from the inoperative position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, to the operative position shown in full lines in FIGS. 2 and 3. The swinging of the cam 34 is due to the upward movement of the bearings 35 relative to the top of the valve rod 26.

On continued rotation of the assembly the following operations occur in sequence.

The lower arm of the cam 34 contacts a fixed striker (not shown) which swings the cam anticlockwise into the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, thus lifting the valve rod 26, due to counter-clockwise rotation of spindle 33. This allows the gas to flow from the inlet 25 through passageways 52, the annulus 53 between seals 29 and 30, through passageways 54, gas tube 8 and finally through plug 44 into the bottle.

As soon as the gas pressure has built up to balance the liquid supply pressure it causes the spring loaded piston of the liquid supply valve 13 to lift allowing the carbonated water to flow into the bottle via passageways 19, 20, valve seat 14, passageways l2 and 11 and annulus 10.

The flow is deflected outwardly by the deflector 51 so that it flows gently down the inner walls of the bottle and thus when it contacts the syrup no appreciable disturbance of the syrup occurs which could cause foaming when the pressure in the bottle is subsequently released.

This liquid flow displaces the gas and air in the bottle so that it flows upwardly via the ports 48 and 49 in the plug 44 and the holes 50 in the nozzle 45, and through the gas tube back into the reservoir containing the main supply of carbonated water.

This continues until the liquid level reaches the plug 44 and flows upwardly through nozzle 45. The holes 50, ports 49 are too small to allow an appreciable flow of liquid through them so that the liquid flows as a jet through the nozzle 45 and lifts the thirnble 46 causing the valve 47 to close on the valve seat 43. As there can then be no further displacement of gas the liquid flow through the valve stops.

On continued movement of the valve assembly the upper arm of cam 34 contacts a second fixed striker which causes rotation thereof with consequent lowering of the valve rod 26 so that relative to the body it is in the position shown in FIG. 1, thus closing off the connection between the main gas inlet 25 and the gas tube 8, and opening the annulus to atmosphere via the snifter outlet 24. The liquid contained in the passageways 11, 12 and annulus 10 being under pressure is discharged through the snifter outlet together with the excess gas above the level of the liquid in the bottle and the liquid supply valve closes due to the relatively higher pressure on the inlet side thereof.

The pedestal is then lowered so that the valve assembly returns to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the cycle is then repeated.

During the snifting operation due to the fact that liquid is discharged together with the gas the rate of gas discharge of the gas is controlled by the concurrent flow of liquid so that it does not result in foaming. Similarly due to the valve 9 no liquid enters the gas tube 8 so that during pregassing there is no projection of liquid onto the syrup in the bottle.

The cam strikers are positioned so that they do not contact the cam unless the bell mouthed filling tube and accordingly the cam have been raised to the position shown in FIG. 2. Thus the cam is inoperative unless there is a bottle on the corresponding pedestal. If a bottle breaks during filling the parts will immediately return to the position shown in FIG. 1, thus closing off the gas and liquid supplies.

Due to the fact that the operation of the liquid supply valve 13 is dependent on the gas pressure in the bottle no timing mechanism is needed and there is no unnecessary delay in filling after the pregassing pressure is attained.

The valve 23 provides a fully eifective seal While operating very easily particularly when wet which assists in reducing wear of the valve assembly.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A filling valve assembly comprising a body, a bottom filling outlet upwardly and downwardly movable in relation to the body, a gas tube extending longitudinally in said bottom outlet, a liquid discharge passageway extending upwardly from said bottom outlet, a liquid supply valve, an outlet from said valve connected to said passageway, a snifter outlet, a gas supply inlet, a gas control valve connecting the gas supply inlet to the gas tube and the bottom outlet to the snifter outlet, a cam mounting connected to the filling outlet and movable therewith, a cam supported by the mounting and operative- 1y connected to the gas control valve, said cam mounting connected to move the gas control valve to close ofi the gas inlet from the gas tube independently of the cam when said mounting is in a lowered terminal position, and means loading the bottom outlet to move downwardly to a lower terminal position.

2. A filling valve assembly in accordance with claim 1 including a liquid flow responsive valve fitted on the outlet end of the gas tube.

3. A filling valve assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which the liquid supply valve comprises a cylinder, a piston slidable therein, a seat at the bottom of the cylinder, a liquid inlet port in the upper portion of the cylinder, an extension of the piston of smaller cross-sectional area than the piston and forming a seating portion of the piston, a spring loading the piston to move away from the seat, and ports extending in an axial direction through the piston, and an adjustable stop to limit the travel of the piston, the said snifter outlet being connected directly to the said liquid discharge passageway.

4. A filling valve assembly comprising a body, a bottorn filling outlet upwardly and downwardly movable in relation to the body, a gas tube extending longitudinally in said bottom outlet, a liquid discharge passageway extending upwardly from said bottom outlet, a liquid supply valve, an outlet from said valve connected to said passageway, a snifter outlet, a gas supply inlet, a rod shaped gas control valve, a cylinder in which said gas control valve is axially movable, spaced ring seals on the gas control valve, the ring seals being of greater periphery than the portions of the rod between the seals, pairs of ports through the cylinder connecting respectively the gas supply inlet to the gas tube and the bottom outlet to the snifter outlet, a bearing connected to the filling outlet and movable therewith, a spindle mounted in the bearing, a cam carried by said spindle, an arm projecting radially from the spindle and connected to the gas control valve, said bearing connected to move the gas control valve to close off the gas inlet from the gas tube independently of the cam when said bearing is in a lowered terminal position, and means loading the bottom outlet to move downwardly to a lower terminal position.

5. A filling valve assembly comprising a body, a valve control means mounted on said body movable between a first position and a second position, urging means for normally holding said valve control means in said first position, said valve control means being positioned on said body for contact with containers to be filled by said filling valve assembly and to be shifted by said containers to a second position, a two position valve means mounted in said body, said two position valve means in a first position providing communication to the exterior of said body and in a second position providing communication to a fluid source, said valve control means in its first position maintaining said two position valve means in its first position, said valve control means in its second position permitting location of said two position valve means in either its first or second position, means carried by said valve control means for shifting said valve means to either its first or second position when said valve control means is in its second position.

6. A filling valve assembly comprising a body, means carried by said body for engaging a container to be filled in fluid sealing contact therewith, fluid passageway means provided through the body for the introduction and removal of gas to a container engaged by the first mentioned means, and a liquid supply valve assembly comprising a chamber defining member in the body and a valve member movably positioned within said chamber defining member, a liquid outlet passageway in communication with the chamber of said chamber defining member at a first location therein and a liquid inlet passageway in communication with the chamber of said chamber defining member at a second location therein remote from said first location, said valve member in. a first position in the chamber of said chamber defining member closing said outlet passageway, said liquid supply valve assembly further comprising passageway means in one of said above mentioned members which communicates said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway when said valve member is in a position other than said first position, and means urging said valve member to a position other than said first position thereof in the chamber of said chamber defining member.

7. A filling valve assembly comprising a body, having fluid passageways therein, a gas outlet tube having an end portion thereof mounted in said body and the remainder of the tube depending therefrom, means surrounding said tube and carried by said body for engaging a container in fluid sealing relationship, a first valve means in said body for supplying high pressure gas to said container to be filled by said filling valve assembly, said first mentioned means when sealingly engaged by said container holding said valve means in a position for the introduction of high pressure gas into said container, a second valve means in said body operated in response to the presence of high pressure gas in said container for introducing gasified liquid from said body outwardly of said tube into said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,354 9/13 Lauterbach 137-433 X 2,168,841 8/39 Kantor 141-39 2,367,899 1/45 Stewart 141-57 X 2,590,386 3/52 Dobrick 137-433 X 2,794,453 6/57 Grosbois 141-303 X 2,814,471 11/57 Carr et a1 137-628 X 3,037,536 6/62 Fechheimer et al. 141-302 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FILLING VALVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BODY, A BOTTOM FILLING OUTLET UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY MOVABLE IN RELATION TO THE BODY, A GAS TUBE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID BOTTOM OUTLET, A LIQUID DISCHARGE PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM OUTLET, A LIQUID SUPPLY VALVE, AN OUTLET FROM SAID VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID PASSAGEWAY, A SNIFTER OUTLET, A GAS SUPPLY INLET, A GAS CONTROL VALVE CONNECTING THE GAS SUPPLY INLET TO THE GAS TUBE AND THE BOTTON OUTLET TO THE SNIFTER, OUTLET, A CAM MOUNTING CONNECTED TO THE FILLING OUTLET AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, A CAM SUPPORTED BY THE MOUNTING AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE GAS CONTROL VALVE, SAID CAM MOUNTING CONNECTED TO MOVE THE GAS CONTROL VALVE TO CLOSE OFF THE GAS INLET FROM THE GAS TUBE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CAM WHEN SAID MOUNTING IS IN A LOWERED TERMINAL POSITION, AND MEANS LOADING THE BOTTOM OUTLET TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY TO A LOWER TERMINAL POSITION. 